Truss.



0. A. SHIPLEY.

TRUSS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. a0. 1915.

Patented Apr. 18, 1916.

THE COLUMBIA PLANQGRAPII Co.. wASHlNTuN. D. c.

ATE'

OSCAR A. SHIPLEY, OF `RAI-IVVAY, NEW' JERSEY.

TRUSS.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 18, 1916.

Application led December 30,1915. Seria1.No.-69,372.

New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements 1n Trusses, of which the following is a specification.

like, the truss This invention relates to an improved supporter or truss and is particularly adapted for use for supporting the abdomen, and is specifically designed for ruptures and the being comfortable, and while resilient enough to conform freely to the movements of the body, it gives the person wearing the same a .feeling of security and comfort. The. truss is of the type that 1s supported on the back and is made to conform substantially to the shape of thebody without, however, touching the body except at points where thesupport is to be located, so that the sides of the body are leftcom- .paratively free.

- rallying The invention relates further to ua truss of this kind which is adjustable to an extent in which any lack7 of resiliency or change of shape, `due to constant wear, can be taken and in which the parts that hold ythe and from which it yis suptruss on the body,

be rocked on the ported, are tiltable or can body portion of the truss.

The invention is illustrated in the accomdrawing, in whichvFigure 1 is a top view of a truss made according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a front view ofthe truss shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 isa sectiony on line 3-3, in Fig. 1 and Fig.

4 .is a section on line 4-4, in Figfl, with a portion of the elements shown in such section illustrated in elevation to more clearly illustrate their form.

The truss has a main or body portion which is lmade of resilient material, preferably spring steel which is in the form of wire, this body portion 10 having the curved portions 11 'at each side and extending across thefront in a manner to conveniently adjustable securing of pads for pressure on the parts to be supported. The type, shown illustrates a support -comprising the central portion 12 of the wire which is connected with the side portions f 11 and is usually raised therefrom by .the

bends 13 so that a substantially arch-shaped structure is formed with a bracing strand 14 extending from the upright parts 13 and beingsuitably secured thereto, the bracing strand being substantially parallel to the central portion orstrand 12. Clips 15 are arranged Aso that they extend around the central strand 12 and the bracing strand 14, these clips being Vprovided in the required number, usually one or two, the clips acting to support the pads, one manner of supporting the pads comprising studs or screws 16 which pass through the perforations 17 in the narrow or compressed part ofthe clips 15, the .studs 16 having any desired form of supporting pad 18 attached thereto, and being held in as the nuts 19 and 20. When the nuts 19 and 20 are screwed up tight to fasten the stud in place, they also act to compress the side walls 21v of the clips and fasten the clips vagainst vsliding movement along the two front strands 12 and 14 of the body portion. The clips are usually made resilient enough to spread apart slightly when the nuts 19 and 20 are unscrewed so that they can be slid to any desired position according to the exact location where the pad 18 is to be desired by the wearer.

.The side strands or portions 11 are curved with their extremities adapted to hold means that will bear against the bak portion of the body, preferably in the neighborhood of the lower part of the spine and so act to support the trussfrom this part of the body. Two supporting plates or disks are preferably provided, one on each side, separated sufficiently to give comfort by not being.

close .enough to the spine to press thereon 1n any way, and each of these supporting pads 22 Vis usually made of a disk 23 having a post 24 thereon, the disk 23 having a covering 25 of any suitable material such as hard rubber or thelike which will protect the metal and also the body by preventing any corrosion of the metal by the acids or other elements onthe body which would come in contact with the metal, and in turn preventing ,the -body from any ill effects from the metal, rubber also providing a good surface forcleanliness, since it is easily keptrclean,

but it vwill be .understood that material other i" Istrap will not stretch to any appreciable than hard rubber can be used .if found desirable.

Each post 24 has an opening 26 therein, each opening acting to receive an end 27 of a curved strand 11 of the body portion, these ends 27 being providedwith notches 28 of a desired number and 'suitably placed. Each post 24 is provided with a hole 29 through which a cotter pin 30 is passed, the cotter pin being adapted to be passed through one of the notches 28, the notch being large enough to permit some play to the cotter pin so that the supporting plate can be tilted to an appreciable extent on the end 27 of the body portion, but it cannot move longitudinally. Other fastening means besides a Cotter pin can beused, but a cotter pin is the desirable fixture fork this kind of fastening means, as it is easily removed by hand without the use of any tools, the cotter pin being 'made of ycomparatively soft material and being easily bent by the fingers. lEach post 24 has a; stud 31 thereon, the studs being headed as at 32. A' substantially flexible strap 33 is provided with button-holes 34 that are buttoned over the studs 31 and are held in place by the heads .32 and connect the posts 24, and in this way also act to connect the ends 27 of the body portion.

The strap 33 can be of ordinary material, such as canvas or leather,

make it so that yit will not stretchto. any material extent, this being accomplished by covering a lstrip of material 35, such as sheet metal, lwith canvas or leathery so that the extent. The strap as a connection acts to permit'one of the supporting disks and its post to tilt on the body portion without aifecting the movement of the other stud,

' vand it gives a degree of flexibility to the jporting *plates structure that permits the truss to adapt itself quickly to any change of position or movement of the body either on one or bothy sides. This independent tilting of the sup-l provides a smooth, even support for the truss, even when the wearer is walking. The notches and the cotter pin provide a quick and convenientA means for varying the size of the truss, the truss being usually worn so that the supporting plates 22 and'the pads 18 are the only portions thereof that contact with the body, the end portions 11 being usually disposed so that they extend slightly beyond the body and do not come in contact therewith, being of a larger radius than'the size of the body at the 'point at which they are worn, and thus giving the patient freedom of movement at the intermediate points, but giving a posipressure and support where it is needed. The padsand the supporting plates can be shifted by the person v wearing the truss to the most advantageous and comfortable position, and the structure but I prefer to opportunity for any of the parts to work ,loos-e, which is a defect with such types of trusses as have small screws and other vsimi-v` lar parts thatpeventually work loose, dueto vibration and the working ofthe body while the truss is being worn. The metal vdisk 23 is of substantial area, and while I have defined rubber as covering it, it ,willk be understood thatlany non-corrosive material can be employed for this purpose. The strap 33 is not primarily designed for any adjustment, but is adapted to connect the bosses or posts ofthe ksupporting plates, the adjustment for the different sizes of truss being made by withdrawing the cotter 'y l Y,

putting it `in somey pin from a notch and other desirednotch. y Y n, v

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A truss comprising a resilient body 3 *portionvv curved at y nection at the back thereof, the body portionvr the sides, a flexible con# being formed into asubstantially iiatv top arched at the front, a bracing strandex-V tending across theI arch, a` spring. clip en gagmg the arch andthe bracing strand and i' i slidable thereon, a pad, and means for fastening the pad to the clip, said lfastening means acting cannot slide.

to clamp the v clip so that` K *Y 2' A truss Comprising a resilient 'bodyv portion curved at they sides, a flexibleconf nection at the back thereof,'the body portion being formed into asubstantially flat top arched at the front, a bracingstrandrexil tending across thefarch, a clip of spring material embracing the top vstrand of the arch and the bracing strand and slidable thereon, the connecting walls 'of the' `clip being perforated, a stud passing through the perforation, means on thestudl for fas. j; tening the `stud in the perforation and'- forcing the walls together so that the clip is pressed so that it cannot slide, and a pad on the stud. f

3. A truss comprising a body portionof spring metal having free ends at the back, the free ends having notches therein, posts slidable on said free` ends, pins passing through theposts and adapted to be placed in the notches and fitting freelyy enough in said notches to permit a limited tilting Lof the posts, supporting plates on the posts, headed studs on the back of the'posts, and

a iexible bendable connection between .theV

studs on the posts. n v

4. A truss comprising a bodyportionof spring metal having free ends atA the back,

the free ends having notches therein, posts holes therein to receive the headed studs slidable on said free ends, pins passing on the posts, said connection permitting 10 through the posts and adapted to be placed tilting of said supporting posts relative to in the notches and fitting freely enough in each other. 5 said notches to permit a limited tilting of In testimony that I claim the foregoing,

the posts, supporting plates on the posts, I hereto set my hand, this 28th day of headed studs on the back of the posts, and December, 1915.

a non-elastic flexible connection having OSCAR A. SH-IPLEY.

copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner o! Patents, Washington, D. C. 

